Numbering device.



W. FLETT. NU'MBBBING lamps. APPLIOATIUI YILED EBITA, 1908.

' Patented Jan. 24,1911.

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d if j y wi PLETT.

NUMBERNG DEVICE. APPLIOATH FILED SEPT. 9, 1908,

y Patented Jan. 24, 1911 MTN/515555 I Tooll 'whom it may concern:

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l, Uni-TED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

"vWILLI-M.. FLETT, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

i NUMBERING DEVICE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

"Application filed September 9,190.8. Serial No. 452,317.

Be it' known that I, lViLLIAM F LETT, a citizen of' the United States, residing at Hyde Park, Massachusetts, have invented certain 'nen1 and useful Improvements in Numbering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do With the number ing of 'articles hearing checks, coupons, or 1o' similar devices, and more -Jarticularly to the numbering of the parts of'railway mileages or tickets. Work of thisl sort requires the Iprint-ing of. tickets in various parts andl n usually/involves an intricate system of numerical series upon the perfection of which a great deal depends, and Whichmust be guaranteed against error.

It is of paramount importance, therefore, that the num ,.bering mechanisms are positive and accurate, as. any suddenjump or jerk is liable .to cause an actuation and give a skip in the numbers and a break in the series. lt is Valso necessary, Where a plurality of numbering devices areto he worked together, that-- their actuation be simultaneous and uni form.` In the production of. railway tickets and mileages it is frequently necessary to have several series, and as thel production of' tickets often required on short notice, or

under the stress of large orders,tl1e means of multlplication or expansionof these tems 1s necessaryin order to copeivith the situation. It is,. moreover, desirable to have inthese. systems the `possibility of relative arrangement according to some predeter- "mined scheme, so thatjsafeguards may be set against. counterfeiting,l and the detection of sucheonnterfeiting made possible. To thev end,4 therefore, ot' providing mechanisms forthe,production ofsuch tickets, mileages,

etc., which shall'be capable oi the various 1 this specification, there adjustn'ients and 4con'illinations ahove 'indiv-f cated, and which will havemotions so posif tive and uhiioru'i as to afford' safe control for the advancing of the numbering series, aii'd to -tlie-` production of various improve ments in the serial. parts'of presses lfor such w'orl{,' I'ha`ve devised my present invention.l

vwhich I will more j fully disclose in the tolA l-lowing specification.

Inthe drawings, which for-m a part of isset forth an e'mbodiment illustrative of my invention. and

4slmvving various improvements in structure- Throughout the specification and drawings, like 'reference numerals are employed to indicate ACorresponding parts, and in the drawings, Figure l shows vthe impression cylinder and adjuncts of a rotary press. Fig. 2 a central section looking from right to left, Fig. 1, with some of the moving parts in elevation and some broken away. Fig. 3 is a view of a numbering head with operating device. Fig. L asectional view of parts shown in FiY. 3, on the indicated line i is a sectional view look ing from left to right, Fig. 3, on line 5. Fig. (i is a transverse sectional View of the numbering head just inside 4of the end plates. Fig. T is a side view of a ratchet mechanism for the disks. Fig. 8 isan'end view of said ratchet mechanism on the line 8--8, Fig; 4. Fig. 9 is a side view of head showing .the locking pawls. Fig. 10 is a View of locking pawls for the ratchets. Fig. 11 is a plan view of Vthe operating'pawls and their supporting arms. Fig. 121s a view of a segumntal gear for. actuating the pawl supporting arm. Fig. Bis a sidev view of the gear shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 (Sheet 2) a detail of the inking'roll oscillator, line 11i- 14 of Fig. 2. vFig-15 shows a section otthe impression cylinder with a lifting plate.

1 is the impression cylinder of a rotary press, ljournaled on the trame Q andfdriven by a goar'Z- on apower shaft. 4. The pinion 3 meshes with a gear or circularV rack set on the cylinder 1 near one edge thereof, as appears to the right oit Fig.

(3 indicates a portion of the plate cylinder "htivcen which and the cylinder 1 the wel) of paper pass-asin receiving the -tirst impression.

7- is :'1 gear ou the shaft 8 of the cylinder t n-'ithwhich the piuons il aud 12onvibra- 'tor shafts lll engage in stam-cred relation.

hn l this alrainrenwlIt.` l am ableto drive allot the shafts 13V at equal ratos hy teeth cu ,the gear 7. The shafts allhave hearings 10 for their inner ends adjacent to the gear 7 amlsuitahle hearing-sli for their outer ends.

20 isa tit-le cylinder mount-ed in aj suitahle, bracket 21. and having suitable connections, rolls and ink feed. The ink feed is shown brokenl away-in F ig. 1` but is similar to that indicated inV the tint-'cylinr-ler 3() Iwhich lies 'next to it and which is indicated in Fig. 1.

les

by la spring 4:3.

3l, and has suitable connections, rolls, and

ink feed.

lare twelve number `head shafts arranged in pairs in six `brackets 41, e'aehshaft y v:l0 having a. bearing yieldingly vhelddown 17 arev gears on lthe shafts 40vv Wh'ieh 'are driven yby lthe gear 15 on anyli'nd'r 1 to rotate the shafts 40.

is a shaft carrying stub numberers suit-- l ably ,mounted in a bracket '51 and having suitable eonneetions, rolls'an'd ink lfeed.

isa `shaft :for 'the serial n'u'rnbere'r journaled i'n la bearing 62 .yieldingly -held fdown in jahracke i-1 'by 'a spring 63. @n anexie'nsionframe 16 next tothe eyl'i'nd'er- 1 fis mounted' a perfora'tor shaft ,70 having a suitableperforat'or for .providing the transverse perfor-ations between Co'np'ons. The shaft '70 is Qyournaled in a bearn'lg -71 vyielding'l'y held down by a spring 72.

is `a. glitter shaft having suit-able slitters for euting and trimming the main .Web into tieketwidths;

is a shaft Carrying parallel perforator's, for. making longitudinal perforations, and havingits' ends jounaled in bearings 9 1 yieldingly held down by sp'ring's93in braak- -ets 92. The trz'lns'v e rse perforators, slitters and longitudinal perforators' are all driven by a Si'1itabl`etrain of gears from the eylinder 1.- ,Y f'

Forjeaeh'of -the pairs of number heads and for thetitle cylinder 2 0, tint, cylinder 30, stub nl in'ibe'rerv jand serial nuinberer 60, I

have, provided `vibrating iiil rolls ,1'00- joiir- A n'aled in the several vbraekfe'ts A(See Fig. 2.) The shafts l ofthe rolls 100 have at one end a spool 102 'Within the flanges of Whih vis located a disk 103, eenentrieallyy mounted on the shaft 13, by Which'i-s imparted to the rolls'. 100 4an even transverse .reciproca- I tion which will evenly distribute theik; In

delivering ink to the nuinl'ieringfheds on the shaft 40 ,the roll. 100 receives 'itftron a feed 101 and p'agssesit vtn a distributing "roll 10,51. from which vthe heads takeit,

each of `the A twelve Isl1afts-40- are riraned one o r-niore"ninnbjering Cylinders :iev com inf"r to the number of tiekets-o1 niileages tn be run in the web.- ln Fig. 2,.,lwo of such cylinders are shown, being given a general number 44; prises four innnber heads., .l

are opel-atingr roek shafts lfor' the'fl'i'u'ifnr.

' ber heads 'of the eylindersil, being arrangel ,in sets of-fonr'arrangel about the' s lits 40 and supported parallel't'hereto in beaiiiig 'cellars 4.6 set on the Shaft, 40. `Atene end,- as shown to the right.' of Fig: 2, 'and the left fot'Fig.- 3, each oll ,these'-shaftS-is provided The rider120 andthe plates 140 fare smooth, 'but the rider 110 is provided with a finll.

'40 may b e'raisedand the heads of theeylin-- cyolaofthe press. .ThusWith a Pres'sneapa-,

mil'e'tickets, foursu'chjpairsof plates,

,used 'and four inil ges'x Each number eyliiuler cem-I with; an opei'ating'eiank 47liavin'g a 'rollen 418, and adapted to be rockedthereby Qn vthe a ftuatinnv of a'tapered sleeve 49 which 1s vflsefn"the 40.' The cranks 47 are helddoivn 'about the shaft kl() by a band-'of s'pringsf250 against whichthe tapered sleeve 19 acts in vthrowing up, .the arms.

"l'l'0 is a lrider fast to the collar 49, and 120' is a similar rider near the opposite endo'l" the shaft A10, but 'fastion the-shaft itself.

These riders and 120 are engaged 'lo'y lifting-plates and 140, lying u ponthefp'e- Yripher-y of the cylinder 1, but bolted to the 75 ends t-heree'f thrnugh their flanges 131 "and 141 respectively. These vplates havetapered ends 132 and 142, Which act afs'ca'ni surfa's ltto nia-ke the llift f. theriders Snioeth and @as iy. The plates 130 and 140 are divided 80 inidwayoftheir length and their flanges 131'- and lill are slotted so 'as to permit theii,iid f justment for "ti'n'iin'vf the 'rise and fall of 'the shaft40 to exaetly. the periods required., 85

which runs in a groeve 133 -in the plates 13,0. Y This groeve runs inwardlvfrom its louter edge then 4outwardly again in a grada, Curve, allowing it an even Cain 'action Wit-hf, 9.0 'the fin 111 o fjthe rider 110,. By ftnini'rllA these bearing platesof proportionate -lengt'l and in siniieient number the numberel Shafts ders actuated at any given 'periods of, tl1",e 95y ble of printing one-thousandniileage co pons with stubs'in one revlutin, n pai-i plates 130, 14:0, would b`e7proper` for', single mileage. To print five hundred mile, nileages, on 'thev samepress, twofsetsffof plates o'ppos'itely.dsposedpin' pairs on vthe with their o'leratling' ineelanisrns constitute; a number head, Each y(me et the disks- `r 174 is provided 'with operating ratehets 19() of 'equaldepthand a p bcl 191 at .t tenth tooth.' The jppcketsare afdereas'ipg depth in' eachdisk-"beginningWithin t isla 200- and 201'are apai'r of''rnjis-se shaft 160, whih' psssgzt-h'iugliopenings 202, so thatthe arms may freely.rclrfthere on; ,The ends ofl the arms 200 and 201 are '204K is a vpawl body pivotally mounted on a bar 206, but held toward the ratchet Wheels by the spring 207.

170', 171', 172', 173', 174', are paWl teeth of gradually decreasing length.

arm- 201, opposite to the web 203.' When,

therefore, the shaft 16 is rocked by the arm 4:7, the segmental gear 210 'will move the arm 201, raising,r the pawl 204 so that it will engage the nexttooth in the ratchet train. As the pawl teeth 170' to 173', inclusive, are of gradually decreasing length, vit will be seen that when the number disk 170 has .been yactuated nine times the pawl tooth 170' will then drop intoa pocket 191, allowing the pawl tooth 171 to drop into` engagement with the iatcl'iet' on the number disk 171, which will advance the disk 171 one number, and at the same time carry the ratchet tooth 170' past the pocketl 19.1, in the ratchet wheel of the disk- 17() and let it engage the adjacent ratchet tooth 190 iu which position the pawl 171' will be held out of contact with the wheel 181. The ratchet tooth 170' beinglonger than the ratchet tooth f 171', the ratchet tooth 170' will continue to actuate the number disk 170 until it has made a complete revolution and the pocket 191 is again presented to the pawl tooth 170', when the pawl tooth 171 will again be allowed to drop into engagement with the ratchet on the number disk 171. The number disk 171 will, i

therefore, be again actuated, and so on until the pocket 191 hasicome around on the ninth actuation to a position side by side with the pocket 191 in the ratchet Wheel of the ynumber disk 170. ln this positionthe ratchet tooth 170' and the ratchet tooth..,171' will both drop sufficiently to allowtheu'atchet tooth 172' to engage the Yfirsttooth ony the ratchet Wheel 182 of the "number disk 172, which will be accordingly advanced one numeral. In this Way, the units, tens, hundreds, etc., will be successively brought forward in series.

220 is a catch paWl for holding eachA number disk from running ahead, being,- yieldingly held in engagement by a springf221 with the teeth of the ratchets of cach number disk. "flier-.atcb p'awl 22() is'pivoted on a cross bar 222 and the springs 221 are formed as ,spring teeth on a comb 223 which is screwed to a cross bar 224.

23() indicates a suitable foldln' operated by a link 31, driven by a crank ona shaft 232 adjustable in a slot 233 on which a gear 2311 driven by the rack 5 on the impression cylinder 1.

240 are feed rolls for 'missing the tickets in a continuous strip up to the folder 230.

Following' the web of paper, indicated by tbc linc'av, through my device, it Will pass rst between the plate cylinder 6 and the impression cylinder 1, then following' said impression cylinder 1, it will pass under the title cylinder 20, the tint.. cylinder 30, then successively under the numbering cylinders on` the twelve shafts 40, then under the stub numberer which is intermittently actuated atthe proper intervals to print the proper number of stubs, then Linder the serial numberer. Atthis point it leaves the impression cylinder 1, and, passing' under a tension roll 69, meets the transverse perforators 70, then under the slitters and trimmers reaches the longitudinal perforators 90. F rom the perforators the tickets go in strips to the feed rolls 240 which pass them up into the folder 230. As soon as the tailof one ticket passes the first number shaft l10 the plate 130 comes up to successively raise each shaft 10 and actuate the rock shafts 115 to advance simultaneously the number heads L14 of each `numl'ier cylinder 4t() one unit.

It will be seen that the number of numbering' cylinders on each shaft 40 may be varied so that oneor two or even five tickets may be run sinmltaneously. i

StiI

What I therefore claim and desire to secure byv Letters Patent is y 1. In a rotary press. a plurality of movablyl mounted numbering shafts, means for rotating said shafts, an adjustably mounted mu'nbering cylinder' on each shaft, a plurality of intermittently actuated rotatable numbering heads 1n each cylinder and means for simultaneously raising said shafts and actuating said numbering' heads while raised from the work.

i 2. In a rotary press, au impression cylinder, a plurality of shafts, numbering' cyl- 'inders on said shafts yielding'ly held agail'ist said cylinder, a plurality Vof intermittently actuated rotatable mimbering heads in each cylinder, means for rotating said shafts, means for intermittently raising each cyl-- iuder and actuating each of said heads.

3. In a rotary press, an impression cylinder, a rotatable shaft yieldingly held4 against said cylinder, a plurality of number cylinders on said shaft, each of said cylinders comn'ising a plurality of numbering heads syn'nnetrically disposed about said shaft, ratchet mechanisms for intermittently actuating' the elen'lcnts of said numbering heads, a rock shaft for each of said heads and operatively connected to said ratchet meclumisms, a radially swinging rocker arm on each of said shafts, an axially movable tapered collar on said first mentioned shaft for radially swinging' said arms to rock said shafts, and means carried by said cylinder for raising said shaft and moving' said collar.

4. In a rotary press, au impression cylinder, an operating segment thereon, a plu`- rality ofv numbering shafts, means for rotating said shafts,a rider on said shafts to to clear the Work, van adjustably mounted numbering cylinder on each shaft, a plu'- rality ofl intermittently actuated rotatable numbering heads therein, means for actuat-k ing said heads While raised from the Work.

.5. In a rotary press, an impression cyl.- inder, a plurality of shafts yieldingly held against said cylinder, numbering cylinders on said shafts, a plurality of intermittently actuated rotatable numbering heads in each cylinder, means for rotating said' shafts, means vfor intermittently raising each shaft and actuating each of said heads.

6. In a rotary press, an impression cylinder, a rotatable shaft yieldingly held yagainst said cylinder, a plurality of` number cylinders, each of said cylinders comprising a plurality of numbering heads symmetrically disposed about said shaft, ratchet mechanismsl for4 intermittently actuating the elements of said mnnbering heads, a rock shaft for each of said heads and operatively connected to said ratchet mechanisms, a radially movable member for rocking each of said shafts', an axially movable tapered collaron said first mentionedshaft for radially moving said member to rock/said shafts, and' means carried by said cylinder for'raisin said shaft and moving said collar. v

7.1' In a. rotary press, an impression cylinder, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of num'- ber cyliliders, each of said cylinders comprising a` plnralityof rotatable numbering heads disposed about said shaft, ratchet mechanisms for intermittently actuating the elements of said numberingheads, a rock shaft for each of said heads and operatively connected to said ratchet mechanisms, aradi! ally moving member for rocking said shafts, and axially movable means for radially moving 'said member, an actuating means on said cylinder for moving said means axially.

8. In a device of the class described, a. rotatably mounted numbering head, a plurality of rotatable numbering disks therein, radially acting means for intermittently rotating said vdisks and a member movable axially to actnate said means radially.

class described, a plumounted numbering for intermittently advancing said disks, a

roclrerfor actuating said pawls, a radially swinging armen saidrockerfand a member` movable axially to actuate said arm radially.

l1. In a device of the class described, a

rotatable shaft, a cylinder comprising a plurality of rotatable numbering heads disposed rotatable numbering about saidV shaft, ratchet mechanisms forgiutermittently actuating the Yelement-s of said numbering" heads, a rock shaft for eachfofy said heads, and means. for simultaneously actuating said rock shafts to actn'ate` said ratchet mechanisms.

l2. In a device of the class described, a. rotatable shaft, a. cylinder comprising a plu rality of rotatable numbering heads disposed about said shaft, radially acting means for actuating the elements of said numbering heads, and means movable axially to actnate simultaneously'said radially acting means.

13. In a device of the class described, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of cylinders, each said cylinders comprising a plurality of rotatable numbering heads disposed about said shaft, ratchet mechanisms for intermittently actuating the elements ofsaid numbering heads, a rock shaft for each of said heads and operatively connected to said ratchet mechanisms, a radially swinging rocker arm on each of said shaft-s, and means movable axially to swing radially said arms toroclrsaid shafts.

In testimony whereof, I athx my si gnature in presence ofi-two itfitnesses.

VILLIAM FLETT; ll/"itnesses:

A. B. BALKAM, A. (l. Frater. 

